Resilient subsea networks critical to AI, digital growth: TRAI chief

New Delhi: Submarine cable systems face significant challenges from natural disasters to pressures from geopolitical tensions and growing data demand, TRAI Chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti said on Tuesday, calling for a multi-pronged approach involving technical innovation, operational resilience, and policy solutions to address issues.

Describing submarine cable systems as the backbone of the digital economy in the AI era, Lahoti said that improving route planning, placing cables in low-risk areas, deploying real-time monitoring systems and building redundant routes can reduce the impact of physical damage and outages.

International cooperation and stronger regulatory frameworks are key to enhancing security and resilience, Lahoti said while addressing a conference on 'Subsea Cables and Digital Cloud Infrastructure' organised by industry body Broadband India Forum.

Lahoti noted that submarine cable systems face "significant challenges" being vulnerable to natural disasters, as well as to human activities.

"...geopolitical tensions and growing data demand also add pressure, making security, reliability and capacity upgrades ongoing concerns for operators," he said.

Similarly, cloud infrastructure faces issues including data security threats, privacy concerns, service outages, operational costs, energy requirement and environmental impact. Also, they need to constantly scale to meet growing demand.

"Together, these challenges highlight the complexity of maintaining reliable, secure and resilient global digital infrastructure. Addressing these challenges requires a mix of technical, operational and policy solutions," Lahoti emphasised.

For cloud infrastructure, adopting robust cyber security measures and continuous threat monitoring is essential.